Shipping and storing case.



No. 644,30l. Patented Feb. 27, I900.

W. 0. POST. v

SHIPPING AND STORING CASE. I

(Application filed Dec. 9, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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mam STATES YVILLIAM C. POST, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFTO H. II.

CORWIN, OF RIVERHEAD, NEW YORK.

STORING CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,301, dated February27, 1900.

Application fi led December 9, 1899. flerial No. 739,782. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. POST, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Shipping and Storing Cases, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means-for the safe and economical packingandshipping of farm products generally, and especially the packing,shipping, and display of cauliflower in such a manner that the heads arearranged in rows out of contact with each other and sufficiently held toprevent excessive movement during transportation, each head beingcontained in its own cell and each case containing single rows of heads,one deep, and with the flower portions presented upwardly, so as to bereadily inspected and at the same time present an attractive appearance.

My invention consists, essentially, of a comparatively-shallow case ofsufficient depth to contain, one deep, rows of cauliflower, said caseincluding rigid end pieces of greater height than the heads to be packedand longitudinal strips spaced so as to secure free ventilation to allparts of the case.

In addition to the foregoing the case consists of longitudinal spacedstrips extending from one end piece to the other and suitable transversestrips loosely seated on edge on the companion longitudinal strips andcapable of a slidable movement on said lastnamed strips, and a tiltingmovement by which they may stand at an incline to the vertical, and alsoa movement whereby one end of each strip may be placed in advance of theopposite end of the same strip to form individual cells or pockets ofdifferent sizes to correspond with the varying sizes of the heads ofcauliflower which are to be received into said cells, all of which Iwill hereinafter fully describe, and specifically point out in theclaims.

In the produce markets but few vegetables require as careful handling aswhat is commercially known as cauliflower. It must be handled with care,and if packed in superposed layers, with the stems, leaves, or otherportions of one in contact with the flower 5o portion of another, theunderlying heads will be bruised and will turn dark and unsightly andwill soon not only lose their fresh and attractive appearance, but willdecay. The method usually adopted for shipping this delicate vegetableis to pack the heads in barrels in bulk or in superposed layers and withthe heads in direct contact. The result is that when the barrels areopened a large percentage of the heads are found bruised and discolored,and if they have been shipped a long distance the damaged heads begin togenerate heat, and fermentation will set in and cause a rotting of theheads, a corresponding loss to the shipper, and in many cases thedeterioration of the entire contents of the barrel. These conditions arefurther aggravated because of the poor ventilation aiforded by thebarrels. Another serious complaint in the handling of cauliflower in"barrels and bulk is that it affords thefarme'r or packer theopportunity to pack inferior or damaged heads in the barrel, where theywould be covered and kept out of sight by the heads above them, and asdamaged or bruised heads will not keep in cold storage when the barrelsare opened after being in such storage many heads are found unfit forsale and use.

The object of the present invention is to construct a light, shallow,and readily-portable case adapted to contain single rows of cauliflower,one deep, and with each row sepa-v rated from the others bydivision-strips, some of which are loosely mounted, so that they adjustthemselves and form,with other strips, cells or pockets adapted toadjust themselves to heads of different sizes, said heads arranged so asto showindependent rows with the flower portions presented upwardly andexposed to 0 full View.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several views, Figure 1 represents one of my improved 5cases, showing the manner in which the goods are packed and displayed,the exterior strips of the case being removed. Fig. 2 is aplan view ofFig. 1 with the goods removed from the case. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectionalView on the line a; 00 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectionalview on the line y y of Fig. 2.

In carrying out my invention I construct the case, preferably, of lightand strong wood, although other material may be used without departingfrom the spirit of my invention. The frame or exteriorof the caseincludes end pieces A and longitudinal connecting side pieces B, saidend pieces extending above and below the plane of the top and bottomedges of the side pieces to provide extensive ventilating-spaces alongthe longitudinal corners of the case. Interior to the case and extendingfrom one end piece to the other are one or more longitudinal strips 0,standing on edge. In connection with the strips 0, I use transversestrips D, which also stand on edge and have notches a formed in theirlower edges, adapted to receive the upper edges of the companion strip0, said strips D being thus loosely seated on the other strips andcapable of a sliding movement thereon, whereby the strips D may be movedtoward and from each other to vary the size of the cell or pocket thusformed between them and the other strips 0 and the side strips of theexterior case. Being loosely mounted,the strips D may be set at anincline to the vertical to correspond with the angle formed by the stemsand leaves of the cauliflower, and said strips D are also capable ofhaving their end portions moved back and forth in opposite directions,as shown at 10 in Fig. 2, whereby the irregularities in size and shapeof the heads of cauliflower of each row may be compensated for and thestrips made to separate or, divide the several rows of heads, eventhough each row should contain heads of different sizes. The heads areplaced in the cells thus formed with their flower portion and cut greenleaves presented upwardly, so that they produce an attractiveappearance. No part of thei'lower portion is directly pressed upon bythe strips, and no portion of one head presses in direct contact withthe flower portion of another head. Therefore the heads are not bruisedor damaged and discolored by such contact, and as the cases are shallowand contain but single vertical rows of goods and the end pieces standabove the plane of the heads when packed it is manifest that even whenthe cases are packed in cars for transportation purposes no part of onecase contacts with the goods contained in another case to damage thelatter, and the free circulation of air throughout the assembled ornested cases is never impeded. The goods are therefore transportable forlong distances with perfect security and invariably arrive in perfectcondition. The heads can also be inspected with the utmost facility andwithout the removal of the same from the cells.

I have demonstrated that cauliflower packed as I have indicated willsellfor more than when it is packed under the old methods, because ofthe perfect and attractive appearance in which it is kept, while thedeterioration in cold storage and transporting long distances is reducedto a minimum.

These cases are also useful to the small dealers, who cannot buy thegoods in large quantities,but who can handle the small cases, which,because of the manner in which the goods are displayed, often serve toadvertise the dealers other goods.

To secure the strips D against complete detachment from the companionstrips 0 and to protect the heads from injury when packed fortransportation, I use strips E and F,form ing, respectively, the top andbottom of the exterior case, these strips being widely spaced to providethe required ventilation.

A case like the foregoing is cheaply made. It thoroughly protects thegoods and permits them to be sent long distances without injury ordeterioration and to be received in perfect condition at the end of thejourney, and when the case is opened the flower portion of the heads ispresented outwardly, so that the entire contents of each case is in fullview and artistically displayed. I also prefer to wrap the flowerportion of each head with paraffincoated paper to keep'out dust anddirt, and thereby add to the attractiveness of the heads.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. A packing-case havinga slatted top, bottom and sides, end piecesextending above and below the plane of the upper and lower edges of saidsides, and longitudinal and transverse series of strips interior to saidsides, the top one of said series being slotted and mounted on the upperedges of the other series said slots being of sufflcient size to permitthe strips of the upper series to be set at an angle both horizontallyand vertically to vary the diameter and form of the entrance ends of thecells formed by the strips to correspond with irregularities in theshape and size of the goods to be packed.

2. A packing-case including an inclosing slatted frame having spaces forthe free circulation of air, and superposed longitudinal and transversestrips standing on edge and forming cells for the goods, said superposedstrips being notched into and mounted with relation to the lower stripssaid notches being of a size permitting the strips to have their endsset one in advance of the other and the entrances to the cells varied tocorrespond with the variations in the shape and size of the goods thecells are intended to receive.

3. A case for cauliflower consisting of a shallow slatted inclosurehaving ventilatingspaces and longitudinal and cross strips formin gcells in which the heads of cauliflower are placed one deep and withtheir flower portions of each out of contact with the case and my handin presence of two subscribing witwith the other heads, one series ofsaid strips nesses. being notched and seated loosely on top of thestrips of the other series and yieidingly in WILLIAM POST 5oontaotwiththeleaves surroundingthe flower Witnesses:

portions of the heads. T. WALTER FOWLER,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set GEO. E. TERRY.

